Nick Jones <<nick.jones>>
sends:

Paraglider Pilots will be making their first flights in a national
park in Canada from Whistlers Mountain on Saturday morning. Pilots will meet at
9:30 a.m. at the base of the Jasper SkyTram and ride up on Whistlers Mountain.
On top they will prepare their wings for flight, soar high above (weather
permitting) and then will land at Marmot Meadows.

The inaugural flight is a celebration of the new partnership between the Hang
Gliding and Paragliding Association of Canada (
http://hpac.ca ), the National
Governing Body for hang gliding and paragliding, and Parks Canada, after eight
years of joint work. Jasper National Park will be the first to implement a
two-year trial to add hang gliding and paragliding activities to the Park.

The pilots will include HPAC member Will Gadd, who hails from Jasper, and is an
internationally renowned paraglider pilot and ice climber and the recipient of a
recent National Geographic Award. Dom Juretic, President of HPAC from Montreal,
will also be in attendance.

Media are asked to meet at the base of Jasper SkyTram at 9:30 a.m. Saturday to
Observe the launch and/or to observe the landing at Marmot Meadows. Further
information: Margit Nance, Executive Director, HPAC (604) 880-9807